


A Woman's Place

by clgfanfic



Category: War of the Worlds (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-19
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-29 19:18:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/690508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clgfanfic/pseuds/clgfanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A missing scene from the episode "My Soul to Keep."</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Woman's Place

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in Green Floating Weirdness #2 under the pen name Gillian Holt.

_"Heavenly."_

 

          Sergeant Norah Coleman deposited the portable flame thrower she'd been using on the alien eggs in the back of the troop transport and ran a slightly shaky hand over her sweat-covered face.  Other Omegans were also exiting the ice house, depositing their gear and starting the cleanup operation.  Not far away, Cash McCullough was being treated by Goodson, the team's medic.  The man looked like he was in shock.  Blackwood was standing over the pair, talking at the reporter.  She shook her head.  Mr. Cash McCullough was one hundred percent pain-in-the-butt trouble.

          Checking her sidearm and returning it to her holster, Coleman turned to join the others in the ice house, but stopped short when Ironhorse emerged out of the shadows.  "Sergeant," he said quietly.

          Drawing up to attention, she saluted.  "Yes, sir."  It wasn't like him to leave an operation that early.  Something must be up.

          "At ease, Coleman.  Have you seen Dr. McCullough?"

          "No, sir."  A frown marred the man's handsome face.  While she didn't know the microbiologist, Dr. Suzanne McCullough hardly seemed like the type to disappear.  Spotting the scientist over the colonel's shoulder she nodded.  "Over there, sir – with Stravrakos."

          Ironhorse turned and took in the situation.  The sergeant was guiding Suzanne toward the medic.  She looked pale and shaken.  "Damn," Ironhorse breathed.  "Coleman, I want you to take charge of Dr. McCullough.  Stay with her until Goodson gets a chance to check her over, and inform me immediately if he thinks she needs to be seen by a doctor.  It might be better if she's with another woman right now."

          "Yes, sir," Coleman said, trotting off to trade places with Stravrakos.  It was clear the colonel was more than a little worried about his charge, but she hated baby-sitting details.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Alex, I'll take Dr. McCullough, the Colonel wants you inside for the cleanup," Coleman lied as she reached them, not wanting Suzanne to know the colonel had assigned her as a friendly shoulder.

          Stravrakos nodded, releasing his steadying grip on the microbiologist.  Coleman stepped up and wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulders.  "Can you make it a little farther, Doctor?" she asked.

          Suzanne nodded.  "I'm fine, just a little dizzy.  I think I hit my head."

"Corporal Goodson will take a look," Coleman told her reassuringly.

          Like the rest of Omega Squad, Norah had had little contact with the civilians they were assigned to protect and the whole situation seemed strange to the female soldier.  Dr. McCullough often put herself in the middle of things, right along with Dr. Blackwood and the colonel.  That took guts, and Coleman made a mental note to get to know the other woman fighting the war against the aliens.  It might be nice to have someone her own gender to talk to – someone who understood about the fight.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          By the time they reached Goodson, Blackwood and Ironhorse were escorting Cash McCullough off.  Given the expression on the colonel's face, Coleman wasn't sure the man was going to survive the remainder of the night.  She heard Suzanne sigh heavily, as they watched them leave.

          "That has to be the biggest mistake of my entire life," the civilian muttered.

          "Your ex-husband?" Coleman queried.

          Suzanne nodded.  "If it weren't for Debi, I think I'd sit down and cry."

          The scientist allowed Norah to maneuver her to the back of the medi-van where she sat down and let Goodson to give her a quick examination.

          "Looks like you banged your head pretty good there, Doctor," he told her.  "And your back is bruised, maybe a couple ribs, too, but they're not broken.  Can you take a deep breath?"

Suzanne inhaled deeply without much discomfort and the medic nodded.  "That's good.  I can give you something for the pain, if you want."

          "No," the microbiologist said.  "It's not that bad.  I'll be fine in a few minutes."

          Goodson looked to Coleman.  "You want me to stay with Dr. McCullough?"

          Norah shook her head.  "No, go on inside, I'll stay."

          The corporal closed up his gear and trotted off to join Derriman as he exited the building, calling to several of the soldiers to start collecting samples for the scientists.

          Coleman watched as Suzanne's gaze followed the activity, but without it fully registering.  That changed when the squad members began to carry out the body bags.

          Norah sighed, and Suzanne looked up at the blond woman.  "You don't have to stay," she said.  "I'm sure I'll be fine sitting right here."

          "I don't mind, Doctor.  Besides, the Colonel told me to stay close, just in case."

          "We lost some, didn't we?" Suzanne asked, noting the drawn expression on the woman's face.

          Norah nodded.  "Three, total, as well as the two cameramen with Mr. McCullough."

"I'm sorry."  The female soldier didn't respond, her eyes picking out each face so she could identify who the dead Omegans were.  "Sergeant, can I ask you a question?"  Coleman looked back to Suzanne, her brown eyebrows peaked beneath her blond hair.  The microbiologist smiled.  She'd heard from Harrison that the sergeant took after Ironhorse in that respect, but she'd never seen it in operation before.  "I was just wondering, how…?  I mean—"

          "How I ended up in the middle of this?" Norah asked for her.  The question was clear enough in the scientist's eyes.

          Suzanne nodded.  "Harrison dragged me in, resisting, I might add.  But you weren't given an opportunity to choose."

          "No, but if I had been, I'd still be here."

          "Are you…?"  Suzanne trailed off, swallowed the surge of fear that welled up inside as the image of the unblended alien filled her thoughts.  "Are you ever scared?"

          Coleman considered lying, but doubted she could pull it off.  "Yeah, a lot."

          "Me, too."  Suzanne smiled thinly.  "And it can't be easy, working with an all male unit.  I know there are times I'd like nothing better than to get away for a while, and I only have to put up with _three_ of them."

          The sergeant allowed a small smile to play across her lips.  She did like the woman.  There was real strength in Suzanne's eyes, and understanding.  "Well, I grew up with five brothers," Coleman explained.  "My mother died when I was little, but my father was a good man.  He and my brothers took care of me, even if it did rather destroy my chances for ever being a regular girl."

          "I had a brother," Suzanne confided.  "But he died when I was seventeen.  Viral infection settled around his heart."

          "I lost one of my brothers in Vietnam.  It's hard."  Norah reached out and gave Suzanne's shoulder a gentle squeeze.  They both understood about loss and, she suspected, dreaded the day when someone they'd grown close to on the Project was killed.

Suzanne smiled up at the pretty young woman.  "Maybe we should take a day off.  Go into to San Francisco.  Go mall-hopping.  Do some shopping.  Eat things that are delicious and full of calories…"

          Norah grinned.  "I'd like that, Doctor."  Funny, I've never felt that comfortable around another woman, she thought.  But Dr. McCullough is different.  Sort of a tomboy, too.  Definitely a soldier, even if she doesn't wear a uniform.

          "Please, call me Suzanne."

          Coleman laughed softly.  "That'll take some getting used to.  You know the military, everything's rank or last names.  But I'll try… Suzanne."

          "I think we females have to break a few rules, don't you?  We have to stick together.  After all, we are outnumbered.  I know I could use the company.  Not that Mrs. Pennyworth and Debi aren't wonderful, but—"

          "They're not fighting a war against aliens."

"Right."

          "I'd like that."

          "How do you feel about chocolate?" Suzanne asked in a conspiratorial tone.

          Norah's face took on a faraway expression as she indulged in a moment of pure fantasy.  "Heavenly."

          "Me, too," Suzanne said, standing.  "We could be dangerous."  Taking a deep breath, she felt the pieces slide back into place.  They'd won another round.  She laughed.

          "What?" Coleman asked.  She'd found an unexpected friend in the microbiologist and the thought lifted her spirits.

          "Oh, I was just thinking about a woman's place."

          The sergeant reached out and rested her hand on the civilian's shoulder.  "Anywhere we damn well want."

          Suzanne nodded.  "You have that right.  Now, let's go see what needs to be done."

          "Follow me, Doc— Suzanne."


End file.
